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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

When Blogs Go To Die

I know I posted today, but quite frankly, that was a lame-o post. Not the content, but my actual, you know, post. So, I figured I'd use this to talk about something I've been thinking about; the death of a blog.

I was cyber stalking an author's blog when I read something that interested me. It talked about when blogs die.

(This is the graveyard of dead blogs. Don't ask me who the dude running up the steps is; I'll be forced to find a deep and elaborate explanation.)

Anyway.

We've all seen it. Someone posts and posts and then they just . . . stop. I'm not talking about an author who's busy or someone who just has no time. That's fine--it'll happen eventually to all of us. I'm talking about the people who just stop blogging because they're sick of it.

The original post barely even brushed on that topic, but it's interesting to me. If someone isn't willing to keep up blog posts, it seems as if they'll never be able to finish a book. I've had a couple of friends who used to blog, and did it for a couple of weeks/months and then decided that it wasn't for them. That was fine; I can understand that. But what about the people who blog because they want to be authors? These are people who write and write and read and edit and love it enough to start basically an online journal for everyone to read.

It seemed oddly counterproductive to let it die. Author's need publicity, sure, and that is one aspect of having a blog. (Not as in branding, just as in, you know, getting your name out there.) There's the networking aspect as well--the fact that blogs give you the chance to meet people that you never would have before. Without writing this, I would never have gotten the chance to talk to authors. It's given me guts that I never had before. But there's something else; the motivation blogs give you.

If you work on a blog (and I really need a synonym for that word, because I'm using it a ton) than you have something to work toward. It can be like Green Bean Teen Queen's blog, probably the best books reviews and best news alerts I've seen, or a published author's blog networking and talking about books, or even one just like this, where I ramble incessantly. But even the rambles are motivating. The days that I want to quit writing, when I figure that I'm just some idiot kid that's never going to do anything, the blog is one of the things that helps. If I can keep this up, than maybe someday I CAN get somewhere with writing.

Motivation can go into graveyards like the one above just as easy as blogs do. Writing, especially when you aren't published, just feels so futile. I've even felt juvenile for it, like some little kid putting on author shoes and trying to do something I suck at. Those are the days when any little bit of motivation helps--and by letting a blog die, I think someone's motivation would take a pretty hard hit.

9 comments:

Amber
said...

Hello! Ok, normally, I just lurk but I like this topic. (not that I'm really qualified. My mom won't let me have a blog.)But the motivation topic--I like that. It's a good point. Like, if you can't stay motivated to work at something you have a commitment to, how on earth can you stay motivated to finish your book?

(Dude that was ninja speed. I literally had not gotten off of blogger yet-I was still playing with twitter buttons when my phone vibrated)Anyway. Hi, Amber! (btw, that stinks about your mom. :/ Mine just reads over mine often. Maybe someday, huh?)Yes! That's exactly what I meant. I understand that people do get really, really busy, and that's fine. Most of those people don't start blogging for a reason. It's the ones that half commit. I really am hoping I'm not being rude--I'm not trying to--it just seems kinda twisted.

Great discussion post, Sam! I agree that letting blogs die can be a sign of lack of motivation. I was definitely a serial blogger before I started PWK. Almost a year later, and I'm still going... but sometimes I do wonder whether I should devote less time to my blog/blogging/what have you and more time to my writing. It's definitely a battle. Right now, thanks to finals and all that jazz, I'm at a rate of about a post a week - which makes me feel sooo guilty. The combination of pressure + guilt + the actual work that goes into a good blog are factors that I can definitely see making someone quit - hopefully for more promising paths. I think I'll stick in there, though. ;) It's such a great outlet. AND THAT ENDS MY SPEECH! hehe. <33

Gina: Yay, I'm glad! I was a little nervous about this one. My friends had the same excuse, too. Well, that and 'no one cares what I say.' Ahem. I know what you mean, though. Blogs really are great that way. :PEmilia: Thanks! Finals are evil. I've been out of school for like, a month, so I've had more time, but it was a lot harder when I was juggling school and EVIL HOMEWORK plus friends who don't like the excuse 'but I don't wanna go see that movie, I wanna write'. :P Summer is definitely easier. Still, I think a post a week is still pretty awesome--especially considering how detailed your posts are. (Mine come off the top of my head and usually ramble. Ahem.)It is such a good outlet. :P You can say the stuff that wouldn't work out loud. Plus, you meet so many like minded fantabulous people. :P

Yep, this happens all the time in the blogging world. And it's very frustrating! The thing I hate about book blogs is that people starting them, then think they deserve ARCs and stuff from authors just for creating a blog and then they disappear after a month. I understand people get busy, but it's these freeloader blogs that give book blogs a bad name.

Aspen: Thanks, and I know what you mean; I do too.Sarah: (Hah, I just talked to you about this. I'm replying anyway.) It's annoying, for one thing, and pretty rude in that aspect. At least the random ones that die don't take ARC's with them.

The Required About -ME- Section

I'm Sam. I'm an 19 year old aspiring author and this is where I ramble.
My story, Altered, was a top pick for March 2010 on inkpop.com,and I attended Alpha -- an international writing camp that houses Tamora Pierce as a mentor -- in the summer of 2011 and 2013. I am also quite fond of strawberry tea.